Heel-seat-fitting machine



Jan. 15, 1929. T 1,698,805

w. c. STEWART ET AL HEEL SEAT FITTING MACHINE Filed March 9, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 15,1929.

Figz;

/VVE/V 7057i 1 Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. STEWART, 0F SWAM PSCOTT; AND HARRY L. HOOD, OF LYNN, MASSACHU- SETTS, ASSIGNORS TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEN JERSEY.

HEEL-SEAT-FITTING MACHINE.

Application filed Mamas, 1925.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes and is herein illustrated as embodied in a heel-seat fitting machine by means of which the heel-seat portions of the soles of shoes may be trimmed prior to the attachment of their heels.

The heel-seat fitting operation, while not entirely limited thereto, is principally used in the manufacture of shoes having Wood heels. Such heels have concave attaching surfaces and are so applied to the shoes that the periphery of the attaching surface of the heel will closely engage the adjacent portion of the shoe upper. To this end it is necessary and usual to trim or bevel the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the sole so that the remaining part of the heelseat of the sole will fit within the concave attaching face of the heel and provide a solid support to which the heel may be attached. The heel-seat fitting operation commonly includes also the making of a transverse out or cuts at the breast line of the sole to receive the breast of the heel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved heel-seat fitting machine, simple in construction and easy to operate, by means of which the heel-seat fitting operation may be performed quickly and accurately even by unskilled operators.

A feature of the present invention comprises a heel-seat fitting machine organization including a drag knife operative about the periphery of the heel-seat portion of a sole during relative movement of the sole and the knife to trim the surplus stock from the sole progressively. The illustrated machine includes also a plurality of crease plates which are arranged in a substantially horizontal plane to enter the rand crease of ashoe to position the shoe and to support the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the sole of said shoe during the trimming operation. In the machine herein disclosed, the work is positioned by the crease plates and the drag knife is moved about the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the sole of the shoe to remove surplus material therefrom.

Serial No. 14,137.

guided for movement around the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the sole by means of a horseshoe-shaped guide bearing a predetermined relation to the crease plates and to the work positioned thereby. A knife is also provided for performing the comple mental operation of making a cut or cuts transversely of the sole adjacent to the heel breast line.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the knife supporting means of the herein disclosed machine engages a horseshoe-shaped guide and is made adjustable relatively thereto so that the path of the knife may be varied in accordance with the requirements of the shoe operated upon. As shown, the horseshoe-shaped guide is a slot in one of two horizontal plates, the other of which has a larger openingv to permit adjustment of the knife carrier relatively to said slot. The knife carrier comprises a plate slidably mounted between the other two plates and guides by rolls in engagement with the slot as the knife carrier is moved peripherally of the heel-seat of the sole operated upon. The knife itself is attached to a post which is adjustably positioned on the carrier and passes through the larger opening of the supporting plates.

This means for controlling the knife, of course, is not limited in its utility to a machine in which the cutter is of a drag knife Other features of the invention include.

adjustable mechanism for limiting the eX- tent of forward movement of the trimming cutter toward the shank of the shoe; and means for adjustably supporting theknife' to permit its blade to be positioned substantially in engagement with the crease plates for movement parallel thereto.

These and other features of the invention which are pointed out in the claims will best be understood from a consideration of the accompanying description of a preferred form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the machine looking up from a point below the head of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation with parts in section; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the drag knife.

The machine of the present application, which resembles in general arrangement that illustrated in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,661,391, granted March 6. 1928, on an application of William C. Stewart, is so arranged that the shoe to be operated upon is supported in the machine by means of a last post and is positioned and securely held in predetermined relation to the operating instrumentalities of the machine by means' of crease plates which are forced'into the rand crease of the shoe. That part of the heel-seat fitting operation which consists in making a transverse cut approximately at the heel-breast line may be effected by mechanism of the type shown in said Letters Patent No. 1,661,391 and the illustrated machine is so organized although other types of mechanism for this purpose may be used. The knife for making the heel breast receiving cut is herein disclosed as mounted upon a slide supported for transverse movement with respect to the work by an adjustable carriage, and controlling mechanism is provided so that the position of this carriage may be determined accurately with respect to the size of the heel to be attached and its style as well. The mechanism by means of which the peripheral cut is made in order to trim off surplus material comprises a knife-carrying table which is slidable from front to back in the machine and arranged so that there shall be no interference with the operation of the knife which makes the heel breast receiving cut when the table is at the rear of the machine and so that the movements of the trimming knife may bear a predetermined relation to the shoe positioned in the crease plates when the knife-carrying table is at the front of the machine. A knife carrier is mov'ably mounted upon this table and is so guided for movement with respect to the rear end of the sole of the shoe that the trimming cut may be made along a predetermined path in accordance with the size and style of the shoe being fitted. The organization just described is common to both the machine of said Letters Patent No. 1,661,391 and that of the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, the trimming cutter of the illustrated machine takes the form of a drag knife which is adjustably supported upon the carrier so that it may be brought into close engage-' V ment with the crease plates in order adequately to out through the sole and so that its path of movement with respectto the crease plates may be varied in accordance with the changing characteristics of different pieces of work. In order to guide the knife carrier with respect to the knife-carrying table, a horseshoe-shaped guide of fixed dimensions is provided on the table and in the present instance takes the form of a slot. Connections between the knife carrier and the guide are then established by providing two rolls upon the carrierwhich travel along this slot, and the knife carrier is actuated by means of a. handle which projects upwardly. through the slot, the arrangement being such that the relation of the path of movement of the knife to the slot may be varied in accordance with the dimensions to which the heel-seats of the shoes are to be trimmed. Adjustable stops are provided upon the carrier to co-operate with the stop upon the machine thereby to limit the ex 50 tent of forward movement of the knife as it makes its out peripherally of the heel-seat portion of the sole of the shoe.

The illustrated machine is provided with a bed casting 1O recessed at the front at 12 to provide room for the work and supported upon suitable legs 14. Casting 10 is provided with upstanding lateral members 16 (Fig. 1) and 18 (Fig. 3), and carries a bed plate 20, recessed like casting 10, to provide a mounting for movably supported crease plates 22, which may be brought into on gagement with the rand crease of the shoe by operator-controlled mechanism such as is disclosed in said Letters Patent No. 1,-

When a shoe on a last 24 is to be introduced into the machine it first mounted upon a work support comprising a swinging last post 26 and then moved into the recess of the bed plate 20 to permit the we crease plates 22 to be brought firmly into the crease between the sole and the upper of the shoe, thereby positioning the shoe in a predetermined relation to the operating instrumentalities of the machine, and protecting the shoe upper from possible injury by the trimming knife.

For the purpose of making the transv so cut to receive the breast of the heel, a 'lfe 28 is carried at the forward end of a slide 30 supported in an adjustable carriage 32 which, as will be seen from 8, has an H-shaped cross-section so that it is supported within and guided for movement from front to rear by a slot in the lateral member of the bed casting. In order that the heel breast receiving cut may he made at the proper position upon the sole of the shoe in accordance with the size and style of heel to be attached, the position of the carria 32 relatively tothe crease plates 22 shoe carried thereby'may be conti suitable mechanism such the dials 2 36 acting through screw-threaded mm to adjust accurately the position of the riage 32 and tothis end the dial be a size dial graduated in accorda the sizes of heels to be attached vsh.v dial 36 may be a style dial suitably aduated to indicate to the operator the proper 130 setting of the machine for the various styles of heel for which the machine is to be used, as disclosed in said Letters Patent No. 1,- 661,391. be actuated by any suitable mechanism such as the bell crank lever 38 operated through a controlling member such as a link 40.

After the heel breast receiving cut has been made, the knife-carrying slide 30 will be moved to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, to inoperative position away from the heel-seat of the shoe, after which a cutter-carrying table 42, which is slidably mounted in grooves near the tops of the lateral members 16'and 18 of the bed casting, may be moved forward into operative position, as determined by an adjustable stop 44, by means of a hand-operated lever 46 connected with the table as shown at 48. By properly adjusting the stop 44 the forward, and in this arrangement the operative, position of the table may be made to bear a fixed relation to the work supported in the crease plates 22. When the trimming operation has been completed, as later described, the table 42 will be moved again to the rear so that the operator will have full view of the work and there will be no interference with the breast cutting knife.

The table 42 comprises spaced upper and lower plates 50 and 52 between which is supported a knife carrier 54 provided with a depending knife-supporting post 56 and an upstanding operating handle 58. The path of movement of this knife carrier with respect to the slidable table 42 is determined by means of a plate 60 having a horseshoeshaped guide slot 62 of fixed dimensions and the range of the forward extent of the movement may be limited by a stop arm 64 adjustably positioned by means of a bolt 66 passing through a slot 68 in a bracket 69 supported upon the carriage 32. An enlarged opening 71 (Fig. 1) in the plate 52 permits this movement of the depending post 56. By means of this arrangement adjustments of the position of the carriage 32 to cause the machine to make the heel. breast receiving cut for a certain size and style of heel will at the same time adjustably determine the position of the stop arm 64 and hence the limits of movement of he trimming knife.

The knife carrier 54 comprises a pair circular plates of which the upper plate has an integrally formed bearing sleeve (2 extending upwardlythrough the slot- 62 of the plate 60 and connected to the operating handle 58 by means of a lever 74 which is clamped against a shoulder on said sleeve by means of a nut 7 6. Since the position of the axis of the knife with respect to the table 42 cannot be determined solely by means of the sleeve 7 2 traveling in the slot 62, we have provided guiding means comprising a car- The knife-carrying slide 30 may riage illustrated as a plate having depending rolls 82 and 84 which are spaced on said plate and arranged for movement along the horseshoe-shaped slot 62. The guiding plate 80 is provided also with laterally extending arms 86 having studs 88 adjustably, positioned therein to bear against the sides of the lever 74 to hold said lever in a predetermined relation to the guiding plate 80. Because of the varying radius of curvature of the slot 62, the sleeve 72 and the rolls 82 and 84 cannot be maintained in fixed relation'throughout the whole range of movement and the plate 80 is, therefore, provided with a slot 90 (Fig. 3) allowing lever 74 to slide in and outwith respect to the guiding plate and maintaining it always perpendicular to the line connecting the centers of said rolls.

In order that the path of movement of the trimming knife may be varied to suit shoes having heel-seats of different sizes, the knifecarrying post 56 is rigidly mounted upon a lower circular plate 92 which is slidably connected to the upper plate 7 0 by means of gibs 94 on the latter entering slots 96 in the lower plate, and the radial displacement of the knife-carrying post 56 with respect to the upstanding sleeve 72 may be 'adjustably determined by means of a pinion 100.cooperating with a rack 102 upon said lower plate 92. This pinion is mounted upon a spindle 104 passing through the sleeve 72 and is provided with an actuating handle 106, having a latch 108 coacting with a graduated, notched segment 110 firmly held in position upon the sleeve 72 by a nut 112. An index finger 114 on said actuating handle 106 enables the operator to vary the setting of the trimming knife in accordance with the different sizes of shoes to be fitted, as

determined by the graduations upon the segment 110.

The trimming cutter 115, which is a drag knife, is bent intermediate its length, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and has oppositely disposed cutting edges 116 and 118 each of which is made up of two parts arranged at an obtuse angle, as shown in Fig. 3. These edges diverge slightly from the longitudinal axis or medianline of the knife 115. The shank 120, which extends approximately in alinement with the upper portion of the knife, is slotted at 122 so that it may be adjustably positioned upon the depending post 56 by means of a screw 124. This arrangement allows the lower horizontally disposed cutting edges to be brought down close to the upper surface of the crease plates 22 so that the cutting action of the knife will'completely sever a horseshoeshaped portion from the rear end of the sole of the shoe with the line of severance inclined relatively to the horizontally arranged plane of the crease plates and so that the 42 so that the knife may bevel one side of the heel-seat portion of the sole of the shoe as table 42 is moved forward. This arrangement provides, in a machinehaving a. sliding cutter-carrying table, a convenient method of starting the knife into the work and enables the operator to combine part of the trimming operation with the operation of moving the sliding table 42 forward without noticeable increase of effort. Latch 124 may be actuated by means of an operating plunger 128 passing through the operating handle 58 and surrounded with a spring 130 arranged normally to maintain the latch in engagement with the recess of holding memher 126. When it is desired to drag knife over the-par already tr' and around the rear end and other side of the heel-seat portion of the sole of the shoe, the latch 124 is released by depressing the plunger 128 to allow the operator to swing the knife carrier around the h a shaped slot 62 and then to return it original position for the r'eengagement of latch 1 4 with the holding member 126. The limits of movement of the knife toward the spaced ends of the horseshoe-shaped path are determined by stop members 182 and 134 individually adjustably positioned upon the guiding plate to co-operat with the laterally extending stop arm.-

64, which aim, it will be recalled, positioned with respect to the frame of the machine in accordance with the size and style of the heel to be attached.

The order in which the operations of makingthe breast and the trimming cuts are performed is not fixed but preferably the breast out is made first while the knifecarrying table 42 is in its rearmost position by actuating the knife-carrying slide 30 to ause the knife 28 to enter the lateral edge of the sole 150 of the shoe and to pass transversely therethrough, emerging at the other edge. The slide 30 carrying the heel breast receiving knife is then withdrawn to inoperative position and the knife-carrying table 42 is moved forward by actuation of the lever 46 to a position determined by the stop 44, bringing the knife 115 forward into position between guide slot 62 and the work support ready to operate on the shoe carried by the support, During this forward movement the drag knife 115, which is held in position with respect to the table 42 by means'of the latch 124, entersthe rear end of the sole and makes a substantially straight out along one side of the heel-seat portion of said sole to a limitdetermined by the coaction of the stop. 132 with the arm 64. The table 42 is then maintained in lts forward position by means of a pawl and ratchet arrangement which is associated with the'lever 46 and the knife carrier 54 is released from the table by depressing the plunger 128 as the operator grasps the handle 58. The drag knife 115 is then moved along a horseshoe-shaped path similar to and under the control of the slot 62 to complots the operation of trimming the rear end and other side of the heel-seat portion of the sole of the shoe, movement of said carrier toward the front of the machine being limited by the coaction of the stop 134 with the arm 64. During this movement, thedrag knife 115 will retrace its path over the part already out during the forward movement of the table Without substantial effort by the operator and will enter the leather again near the rear end of the sole to complete the out. After the cuthas been completed, the knife115 may be returned idly and latched in its original position relatively to the table 42. It will be observed that the longitudinal axis of the knife 115 is maintained in a position approximately normal to the horseshoe-shaped slot in any position of the carrier by reason of the fact that the lever 74 is maintained perpendicular to the line joining the centers of the guiding rolls 82 and 84 and the path of movement of the knife is substantially parallel tothe slot 62 but displaced therefrom by a distance determined by the setting of the handle 106 which is made in. accordance with the size of the work;

Having described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Ina heel-seat fitting machine, a sup port for ashoe, means fort-rimming surplus material from the peripheral portion of the heel-seat of the sole of a shoe carried by said support comprising a drag-knife having a cutting edge positioned at an acute angle to the tread surface of the sole of the shoe, means for producing relative arcuate movement of the work support and the drag-knife to effect the trimming action, and means for protecting the upper of the shoe from damage by the drag-knife during the trimming operation.

2. A heel-seat fitting 'machine having a clragknifo, means for moving said dra kniie about the periphery of theheel-seat portion of a sole with the cuttingedge of the knife at an acute angle to the tread surface of the sole of the shoe to trim surplus material from the heel seat portion of the sole and to form a new periphery therefor, and means for protecting the upper of the shoe from damage by the drag-knife during the trimming operation. V

3. A heel-seat fitting machine having a work support, a drag-knife, having a cutting edge arranged at an acute angle to the peripheral portion of the tread surface of the heel seat of the sole of a shoe carried by the work support, means for moving the drag knife about the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the sole of a shoe carried by said work support to trim surplus material from the edge thereof, and means for protecting the upper of the shoe from damage by the drag-knife during the trimming operation.

4. A heel-seat fitting machine having a support for a shoe, a drag-knife, means whereby the cutting edge of said knife may be set at such an angle relatively to the plane of a sole of a shoe carried by said support as to remove from said sole a substantially V-shaped portion having the angle disposed between the arms of the V acute thereby adapting the machine to cut the heel seat portion of the sole to conform to the concaved heel seat of a heel to be attached thereto, and means for moving said dragknife peripherally of the heel-seat of the sole of said shoe to trim surplus material therefrom.

5. A heel-seat fitting machine having a plurality of crease plates arranged to enter the rand crease of a shoe to position the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the sole thereof in the machine, a drag-knife, and means for moving said drag-knife about the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the sole of said shoe to trim surplus material therefrom.

6. In a heel-seat fitting machine, crease plates adapted to enter the rand crease of a shoe for positioning the heel-seat of the sole of said shoe for the heel-seat fitting operation, said crease plates being adjustable about a point at the rear of the shoe in line with the back seam of the shoe, a drag-knife, and means for producing relative movement of the drag-knife and the shoe positioned by the crease plates to remove surplus material from the edge of the heel-seat portion of the sole of said shoe.

7. A heel-seat fitting machine having a Work support, a plurality of crease plates arranged to be forced into the rand crease of a shoe carried by said work support to support the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the sole of said shoe, a drag-knife having a cutting edge inclined relatively to the surface of said crease plates, and means for moving said knife peripherally of the heelseat portion of the sole of said shoe to bevel the edge thereof.

8. A heel-seat fitting machine having, in combination, a plurality of crease plates arranged to be forced into the rand crease of a shoe to support the peripheral portion of the heel-seat of the sole thereof, a plate supported in parallel relation to said crease plates and having a horseshoe-shaped slot therein, a carrier guided in its movement by said horseshoe-shaped slot, a cutter carried by the carrier and arranged to trim surplus material from the'periphery of the heel-seat portion of the sole of a shoe gripped by said crease plates, and means for varying the relation of said cutter to said horseshoe-shaped slot to position the cutter to trim heel-seats of different sizes.

9. A heel-seat fitting machine having a plurality of crease plates arranged to enter the rand crease of a shoe to position the shoe in the machine, a drag-knife mounted for movement about the periphery of the heelseat portion of the sole of said shoe, and means arranged to guide said drag-knife for movement from the rear to the forward extremity on one side of the heel-seat portion of the sole and then for movement peripherally of the heel-seat from the for-' ward extremity at said side of the heel-seat around the rear to the forward extremity of the heel-seat portion of the sole on the other side of the shoe.

10. In a heel-seat fitting machine, means for supporting and positioning a shoe, a drag knife having a cutting edge at an acute angle to the tread surface of the sole of a shoe supported and positioned by said means and operable to trim the heel-seat of the shoe to remove surplus material, from the periphery thereof and to bevel the heelseat, thereby to fit the heel-seat for the attachment of a wood heel, a horseshoe-shaped guide for said knife, and means for producing relative movement of the drag knife and the shoe held by said supporting means along a path determined by said horseshoeshaped guide.

11. In a heel-seat fitting machine, means for supporting and positioning a shoe, a horse-shoe-shaped guide, a cutter operable to trim the heel-seat LU remo ve surplus material from the periphery thereof, adjustable means supporting said cutter and arranged for engagement with said guide for varying the path of the cutter with respect to the guide in accordance with the size to which the heel seats of different shoes are to be trimmed, and means for producing relative movement of the cutter and the shoe held by the supporting means along a path determined by said guide.

12. A heel-seat fitting machine, having, in combination, a drag-knife arranged to trim surplus material from the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the sole of a shoe, and a knife arranged for movement transversely from one side of the sole to the other to make a heel breast receiving cut.

13. In a heel-seat fitting machine, a drag knife arranged, for swinging movement to trim surplus material from the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the-sole of a shoe by entering said sole at one side of 'the heel-seat and leaving the sole at the other side of the heel-seat, and a knife arranged for movement transversely from one side of the sole to the other to make a heel breast receiving cut substantially at the heel breast line of the sole.

14. A heel-seat fitting machine having a work support, a plate having a horseshoeshaped slot positioned in accordance with the position of the heel-seat of a shoe carried by said work support, a movable carrier guided in its movement by said horse shoe-shaped sllot, a cutter mounted upon the carrier, and means for adjusting said cutter normally to said horseshoe-shaped slot to vary the path of movement of the cutter in accordance with the size to which the heel-seat of theshoe is to be trimmed.

15. A heel-seat fitting machine having a plurality of crease plates arranged to enter the rand crease of a shoe, a plate having a horseshoe-shaped slot positioned in accordance with the position of the heels eat of a shoe in the rand crease of which said crease plate is positioned, a movable carrier, and a cutter connected to said carrier and adjustable normally to said slot to vary the path of movement of the cutter in accordance with the size to which the heel-seat of the sole of a shoe is to b trimmed.

16. A-heel-seat fitting machine comprising a movable drag knife, means for moving said knife, means for guiding said knife in its movement along a curved path to cut surplus material from the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the sole of a shoe, and means separate from the knifenioving means for determining the limits of said path to determine the extent of the cutting action.

17. A heel-seat fitting machine having a movabiy supported drag knife, a support for said knife, means for guiding said knife along a horseshoe-shaped path to trim the periphery of the heel-seat end of the sole of a shoe, and means carried by the knife support for determining the limits of movement of said knife adjacent to the spaced ends of said horseshoe-shaped path.

18. A heel-seat fitting machine having a movably supported drag knife, a support for said knife, means for guiding said knife along a horseshoe-shaped path to trim the periphery of the heel-seat end of the sole of a shoe, and adjustable means carried by'the knife support for determining the limits of movement of said knife adjacent to the spaced ends of said horseshoe-shaped path.

19.A heel-seat fitting machine having a movably supported drag knife, a support for said knife, means for guiding said knife along a horseshoe-shaped path to trim the periphery of the heel-seat end of the sole of a shoe, and a plurality of means carried by theknifesupport for determining the limits of movement of said knife adjacent to the spaced ends of said horseshoeshaped path.

20. A heel-seat fitting machine having a movably supported drag knife, a support for said knife, means for guiding said knife along a horseshoe-shaped path to trim the periphery of the heel-seat end of the sole of a shoe, and a plurality of separately adjustable members carried by the knife support for determining the limits of movement of said knife adjacent to'the spaced ends of said horseshoe-shaped path.

21. In a heel-seat fitting machine, crease plates arranged to enter the rand crease of a shoe to position the shoe and to support theperipheral portion of the heel-seat end of the sole of the shoe, a knife support, and a drag knife carried by said knife support in angular relation to the plane of the crease plates, said knife beingmounted for adjustment upon the support to allow the knife to be positioned close to the sole engaging surface of said crease plates.

22. In a heel-seat fitting machine, a support arranged to position a shoe and to support the peripheral portion of the heel-seat end of the sole thereof, a drag knife having a plurality of edges arranged at an angle to each other, and means for adj-ustably supporting said knife constructed and arranged to position one of the edges closely adjacent to the plane of the work support with the other edge in position to cut through the sole to bevel the periphery of the heel-seat end of :the sole.

23. In a heel-seat fitting machine, a support for the peripheral portion of the heelseat end of the sole of a shoe, a drag knife having an edge disposed in angular relation to the plane of said work support and another edge disposed in substantially parallel relation to the plane of said work support, and a support. for the knife arranged to permit relative adjustment of the last-named edge of the knife toward and from the work support.

24. In a heel-seat fitting machine, means for supporting the work in fixed position in said machine, a slidable carriage movable from an inoperative position at the rear of the machine ,to a predetermined forward position adjacent to the work in the work support, a knife carrier movably mounted on said carriage, a guide on said carriage to control the knife for movement toremove surplus material from the peripheral portion of complete the trimming operation while the carriage remains in said forward position.

25. In a heel-seat fitting machine, a tool supporting carriage comprising an apertured plate, aslotted plate, said plates being relatively arranged so that the aperture and the slot lie over each other, a tool carrier slidably supported between said plates, and a tool nounted on said carrier, said carrier having an adjustable support for said tool extending through the aperture of said first-mentioned plate and said carrier being provided with guiding means extending through the slot of the second-mentioned plate, and means for adjusting the position of the tool on the carrier to vary its path of movement with respect to the guiding slot.

26. In a heel-seat. fitting machine, a plate provined with a horseshoe-shaped slot, a cutter, a carrier for said cutter guided by the slot in said plate, and means for varying the path of movement of the cutter with respect to said slot comprising means for adjusting,

the position of the cutter with respect to the carrier in a direction substantially normal to the slot.

27. In a heel-seat fitting machine, a cutter, a cutter carrier, means for guiding said outter to trim the periphery of the heel-seat portion of ,the sole of a shoe comprising a slotted plate, means co-operating with said slot for guiding said carrier, and a rack and pinion for adjusting the position of the cutter with respect ,to said guiding means.

28. In a heel-seat fitting machine, a cutter carrier comprising two plates slidably mounted with respect to each other, and rotatable means for relatively adjusting the two plates of said carrier.

29. In a heel-seat fitting machine, a carrier for a drag knife comprising two plates slidably mounted with respect to each other, means for guiding said carrier along a horseshoe-shaped path, actuating means for said carrier, and means for adjusting the relative position of said plates positioned adjacent to said actuating means.

30. In a heel-seat fitting machine, a work support, means for trimming the periphery of the heelseat portion of the sole of a shoe carried by said work support comprising a swinging drag knife, and means for making a transverse cut substantially at the heel breast line of the sole of the shoe carried by said support.

31. In a heel-seat fitting machine, a work support adapted to receive and support in exposed position the peripheral portion of the heel-seat end of the sole of a shoe, a guide in a predetermined relation to said work support, a drag knife, and a carrier for said drag knife constructed and arranged to support said drag-knife between said guide and said work support for movement in a predetermined relation to, said guide to remove surplus material from the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the sole of a shoe upon said support.

32.111 a heel-seat fitting machine, a drag knife, a carrier for said drag knife, a curved gu' e member, and guiding means on said carrier associated with said curved guide member constructed and arranged to maintain the cutting edge of said drag knife approximately normal to the curved guide member as the drag knife and the carrier are moved under the control of the curved guide member.

33. In a heel-seat fitting machine, a drag knife, fixed means for guiding said drag knife provided with a slot having a varying radius of curvature, movable guiding means for said knife having spaced rolls associated with said slot and arranged to maintain said knife with the longitudinal axis of its blade approximately perpendicular to a line connecting the centers of said rolls, and a support for the knife slidably mounted relatively to said movable guiding means for movement in the direction of said axis.

B l. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination, a support for a shoe to be operated upon, a pair of plates each having a thin edge arranged to enter the rand crease of a shoe carried by said support to position the shoe and to protect the upper of the shoe during the perform ance of a heel-seat fitting operation, a drag-knife arranged for movement about the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the shoe to trim surplus material therefrom, and a carriage for the knife provided with means arranged to be guided by an approximately horseshoe-shaped slot formed in a suitable part of the machine to control the movement of the knife about the peripheral portion of the heel-seat of the sole of a shoe.

ii heel-seat fitting machine having, in combination, a support for a shoe to be operated upon, a pair ofplates each having a thin edge arranged to enter the'rand crease of a shoe rarried by said support to position the shoe and to protect the upper of the shoe during the performance of a heel-seat fitting operation, a knife arranged for movement about the periphery of the heel-seat portion of the shoe to trim surplus material therefrom, a horseshoe-shaped guide movable to correspond to the position of the edge of said plates when in the rand crease of a shoe, and a carriage for the knife provided with a pair of members arranged in co-operation with said horseshoe-shaped guide to control the movement of the knife about the peripheral portion of the heel-seat of the sole of a shoe.

36, A heel seat fitting machine having, in combination, a support for a shoe to be operated upon, a pair of plates each having a thin edge arranged to enter the rand crease of a, shoe carried by said support to position the shoe and to protect the upper of the shoe during the performance of the heel-seat fitting operation, a drag knife arranged for movement about the periphery of the heelseat portion of the shoe to trim surplus material therefrom, and a carriage for the knife provided With a pair of members arranged to be guided'by an approximately horseshoeshzrped slot to control the movement of the 10 knife about the peripheral portion of the heel-seat of the sole of a shoe.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification.

\VILLIAM C. STEWART. HARRY L. HOOD. 

